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Chantara

Before Grimme could reply, a flapping, squawking, ball of feathers hurtled through the room, plunging through the cake and startling Meira. Pandemonium ensued. I watched with amusement, without contributing to the chaos.

An unfamiliar man had joined the table, I gave him a quick, keen look, then pretended I hadn’t noticed him. He didn’t look particularly dangerous, but you never could tell.

“This goose has three magical properties; the first group to guess two or more of its properties will receive a clue to finding what was taken.”

I sat more upright and narrowed my eyes. My friends, and Aydin. Would the castle follow through? At least I would get a clue, and participation didn’t seem optional.

“The guild-leaders will be divided into two groups; Chantara, Connel, Karayan, and Þorunn will be the first group and Grimme, Aadipta, Meira, and Dominic are the second group.”

An even split. I tried to assess if I was in the stronger or weaker group. It wasn’t hard to figure out names by judging their reaction. Not everyone was here, though. Nobody reacted to the first few names, so they must be elsewhere.

Grimme was the girl next to me, and she was dangerous and wily, doubtless. Aadipta seemed to be the new man. I hadn’t seen what he could do yet. Meira was entirely incapable and probably couldn’t hit a house if she was standing inside. (Do not underestimate her. Remember your scars.) Dominic was an older man with gray hair, who didn’t seem too dangerous either.

Two doors opened up on either side of the room.

“Whichever direction you go, you will both have an equal chance of finding it. Good luck. Your first clue will be within the doors.”

I let out a long breath and got to my feet smoothly. Now it had really started. I wandered toward the middle of the room and stood waiting for the others in my group to arrive.

Meira whirled her spear onto her shoulder, almost knocking herself off balance.
“Anyfolk know what a goose is most ‘specially?” She asked.

I still had some trouble understanding her odd dialect.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a bird,” I said, innocently. I had to be careful not to overdo the feigned foolishness, but it could be effective. Anyway, it sounded like a joke.

The sharp shatter of glass made me stiffen. A door on the other end of the room slammed open and a pawn hurried through, clutching at the side of her face. Scarlet blood seeped through her fingers.

A girl stormed out after her. Shards of glass sparkled on the ground behind her. The hair in the back of my neck stood up straight. She had harmed a pawn. There was nothing to be gained from harming one of them and a wrinkle formed between my brows. That was cruel, but even more than that, it was pointless.

She was in my group, and I had already decided to dislike her. Not that I’d ever show it until she found one of my knives in her back. I straightened my expression and smiled, shyly. The feline creature came after her, a small, lizard-like creature curled around its shoulders. He was speaking to it quietly, but I still found him unsettling.

While I stood waiting for them, I raked through my hair, sweeping it up, off my shoulders. I twisted it up and fumbled for a hairpin. I surreptitiously checked if the knives on my back were still hidden. I would be able to reach them easier now my hair was out of the way.

I tried to look friendly and tried not to show how much effort that cost me.

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@skylarynn @this-is-not-an-alien